Origins

The establishment of the World Olive Center for Health in Greece

The idea for the World Olive Center for Health was inspired by Dr. Eleni Melliou, and as she announced at the Old Parliament 2017 during the “Olympia Health and Nutrition Awards 2017” event, the Center is a non-profit organization aiming to provide certification for olive oil with a health claim, training of producers and targeted research on the emergence of the health protecting and therapeutic properties of all olive products, having as ultimate target the increase of their economic value. In parallel, the center is a deliverable of the European program INTERREG MED “ARISTOIL”.

The scope of the organization includes, but it is not limited to:

• Scientific research (basic and applied).
• Performing analyses of olive oil produced in any region of the world and its certification in relation to health claims.
• Research and development of any kind of product, including pharmaceutical products or food supplements based on olive oil or its components, which have beneficial properties for the human body and for the health in general.
• Research and introduction of standards in olive oil technology.
• The information of the scientific community and the wider public about the therapeutic properties of olive oil.
• Management of the implementation of European Community or national programs and initiatives for the development and the promotion of the therapeutic properties of olive oil.
• The development of olive oil cultivation and production methods to maximize the therapeutic properties of olive oil and the provision of training services to producers, public bodies or private entities etc., both in Greece and abroad, in relation to these new methods of olive oil cultivation.
• The conclusion of employment contracts or work contracts with any private entity or public body, either persons or legal entities, as well as the organization and participation in all kinds of scientific and information programs, conferences, workshops and events in Greece and abroad.
• The WOCH non profit organization, alone or in cooperation with other companies, national and foreign persons and legal entities, in actions of any kind aimed at promoting research and development on the therapeutic properties of olive oil in human health.
• The certification of the individual components and therapeutic properties of the olive oil produced anywhere in the world